This invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head.
Typical reversible, adjustable arc sprinklers employ various mechanisms to reverse the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head including, for example, mechanical trippers and magnets. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,838; 4,763,839 and 4,540,125. There remains a need, however, for a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler of simple and reliable construction.
The present invention provides a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head that is driven by the flow of water from a fixed nozzle. In one exemplary embodiment, the sprinkler head is of the type in which a fixed nozzle is mounted within a sprinkler body, and a rotatable spray plate is supported by a cap releasably secured to the body, in axially spaced relation to the nozzle. The spray plate is mounted in a cage that is, in turn, mounted on a shaft for rotation about a first vertical axis through the sprinkler body. The spray plate is also mounted within the cage for tilting movement about a second, horizontal axis, perpendicular to the first axis. The spray plate is formed with a pair of parallel water distribution grooves that are shaped to redirect a vertical stream emitted from the nozzle into a generally radially outwardly directed stream. A center barrier between the two distribution grooves is centered relative to the nozzle, such that when the spray plate tilts in one of two opposite directions, it will receive the stream in one or the other of the two distribution grooves. The spray plate is caused to rotate on the shaft about the first axis in a direction dependent upon which groove receives the stream, which, in turn, is dependent upon the direction of tilt of the spray plate about the second axis.
The distribution grooves have generally vertically oriented inlets and generally horizontally oriented outlets, and the grooves may be covered by a correspondingly shaped xe2x80x9cshieldxe2x80x9d that confines the stream in the respective grooves.
The spray plate cage, as noted above, is secured to one end of a rotatable shaft, and the other end of the shaft may be secured within a viscous retarder xe2x80x9cmotorxe2x80x9d of the type described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 33,823; 5,058,806; and 5,288,022, for controlling the speed of rotation of the spray plate. The cage also supports a horizontally extending shift lever for free rotation about a third axis that is parallel to the first vertical axis. The shift lever is formed with a generally round-shaped aperture that is arranged so that the stream emitted from the nozzle passes through the aperture, upstream of the spray plate grooves. The shift lever is pivotable between a pair of tabs on the spray plate cage and, as explained in greater detail below, serves to deflect the stream sufficiently to cause the spray plate to tilt and thus allow the stream to move from one to the other of the two grooves and thereby reverse the rotation direction of the spray plate.
A generally cylindrically shaped stop assembly is also secured to the sprinkler cap, above the nozzle and surrounding at least a portion of the spray plate cage and the shift lever. The stop assembly includes a first ring component having a first receiving stop formed in an interior surface thereof. A second ring component of the stop assembly is mounted on the first ring component and includes a second reversing stop that is rotationally adjustable relative to the first stop, it being understood that the arcuate distance between the stops (and through which the outer end of the shift lever travels) determines the arc through which the spray plate rotates. Specifically, the shift lever rotates with the stop assembly about the first axis until it contacts one of the reversing stops. Then while the spray plate continues to rotate, the shift lever is forced to rotate about the third axis, moving from is center position and engaging the stream thus shifting the stream away from the spray plate center barrier. This then causes the spray plate to tilt, resulting in a reversal of the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
In a second and presently preferred embodiment, the viscous retarder motor is incorporated into the sprinkler body, upstream of the nozzle. This arrangement essentially eliminates the cap and motor shaft as well as a significant portion of the spray plate cage as described above. In this embodiment, the sprinkler body includes a fixed outer housing that supports a stator housing or sleeve for rotation about a fixed rotor stem that, in turn, supports the nozzle. The stator housing or sleeve mounts a vertically extending spray plate support that pivotally mounts the spray plate for tilting movement in a manner similar to that of the first described embodiment. The shift lever is supported directly on the stator housing, while first and second rings and associated first and second reversing stop posts are adjustably supported on the outer housing.
Viscous fluid is introduced between the stator housing and fixed rotor stem and acts to retard the speed of rotation of the stator housing and spray plate relative to the speed of rotation that would otherwise result from the impingement of the stream on the curved water emitting grooves in the spray plate
In its broader aspects, therefore, the invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body incorporating a fixed nozzle; a spray plate mounted on one end of a support cage for rotation with the support cage in one or the other of two opposite directions about a first axis arranged coaxially with a stream emitted from the nozzle, and for back and forth tilting motion about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, an opposite end of the support cage secured to a sleeve rotatably mounted in the sprinkler body, the spray plate having a pair of substantially parallel grooves for selectively receiving the stream, wherein the direction of rotation of the spray plate about the first axis is determined by the tilting motion of the spray plate about the second axis; and a shift lever formed with an aperture sized to receive the stream, the shift lever mounted at one end on the sleeve for rotation about a third axis parallel to the first axis, the shift lever enabled to shift the stream from one of the pair of grooves to the other of the pair of grooves to thereby reverse the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body having an outer housing, a rotatable stator housing supported within the outer housing, and a fixed, hollow rotor stem secured to the outer housing and located radially inward of the stator housing, the rotor stem supporting an axially arranged nozzle; a spray plate mounted in a cage for tilting motion relative to the cage about a horizontal axis; the cage and spray plate mounted at one end on the stator housing for rotation relative to the sprinkler body about one vertical axis, the spray plate having formed therein a pair of substantially parallel grooves adapted to be sequentially aligned with the nozzle for receiving a stream from the nozzle, wherein the direction of rotation of the spray plate about the first axis is determined by the tilting motion of the spray plate about the second axis; a shift lever extending substantially horizontally and mounted on the stator housing for confined pivotal rotation about another vertical axis, parallel to the one vertical axis, the shift lever having an inner portion with an aperture therein through which a stream emitted from the nozzle may pass; and a stop assembly mounted on the outer housing and including a first annular ring provided with a first stop post, and a second annular ring supported on the first annular ring for rotation relative to the first annular ring, the second annular ring having a second stop post adjustable relative to the first stop post; and wherein the shift lever is arranged to rotate with the stator housing, the cage and the spray plate about the one vertical axis between the first stop post and the second stop post, and to rotate about the another vertical axis after engagement with one of the first stop post and the second stop post.
The invention will now be described in detail, in connection with the drawing figures identified below.